Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1993 Jun;11(6):1099-107.
doi: 10.1200/JCO.1993.11.6.1099.

Parameters affecting the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in patients with severe human immunodeficiency virus infection receiving antiretroviral therapy

J M Pluda  1 , D J Venzon, G Tosato, J Lietzau, K Wyvill, D L Nelson, E S Jaffe, J E Karp, S Broder, R Yarchoan
Affiliations

Parameters affecting the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in patients with severe human immunodeficiency virus infection receiving antiretroviral therapy

J M Pluda et al. J Clin Oncol. 1993 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the occurrence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients receiving long-term antiretroviral therapy and factors associated with the development of these lymphomas.

Patients and methods: The charts of 55 patients with advanced HIV infection receiving zidovudine (formerly known as azidothymidine [AZT])-based therapy and 61 patients receiving dideoxyinosine (ddI) were examined for the occurrence of NHL. Stored samples from the AZT-based treatment cohort were examined retrospectively for parameters predictive of the subsequent development of lymphoma.

Results: Eight of 55 patients receiving AZT-based therapy developed NHL, yielding an estimated probability of 12% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.7% to 27.1%) after 24 months, and 29.2% (95% CI, 15.2% to 48.7%) after 36 months. Four of 61 patients receiving ddI developed NHL, yielding a 6.2% (95% CI, 2.1% to 17%) estimated probability after 24 months, and 9.5% (95% CI, 3.6% to 22.8%) after 36 months. The difference between these cohorts was not significant (two-tailed P [P2] = .13). Patients with less than 50 CD4 cells/microL developed NHL at a significantly higher rate (P2 = .0085). This was particularly true for patients who presented with primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL). For patients receiving AZT-based therapy, pretreatment serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were somewhat higher in those who subsequently developed NHL than in those who did not (P2 = .048).

Conclusion: HIV-infected patients with profound immunodeficiency, especially those with less than 50 CD4 cells/microL, are at substantial risk of developing NHL and particularly PCNSL. Additional studies are needed to define the role of other factors such as IL-6 in the pathogenesis of these opportunistic tumors.

PubMed Disclaimer